Simmered to perfection over two days, my Hot Tomato Jelly is a fiery blend of sweet, spicy, and savory.
The beef steak/jumbo tomatoes I purchase in Plant City come from Adrian Produce from the following fields here in Ruskin, Florida, Immokalee, Florida, Myakka, Florida, and Tennessee tomatoes. These fields of tomatoes are transported all along the eastern coast of the United States. The tomatoes have not been frozen so they retain their flavor and juiciness of a delicious tomato. Also the rest of the vegetables are from the local farmers in Florida which bring their produce to the market to sale to people like me with produce stands in Florida. The farmers are knowledgeable concerning growing the produce and using natural things to keep the insects off the produce.
The fruits are local too since we are a tropical state and offer so many different kinds of fruits it’s so amazing how Florida’s farmers grow in our state with our bipolar weather. Amigos Produce provides my produce stand with wonderful diverse fruits and vegetables which is seasonal and year round.
Grown beneath the Florida sun, Strawberry Onions are tender, juicy, and perfect raw or cooked.
Plant City, Florida is well known for the Strawberries and the Strawberry Onions grown locally and they are so delicious. The strawberry onions are seasonal when the strawberries are in season and they are a sweet onion which can be used any way you use an onion.
Watermelons in the summertime are so refreshing to eat and hydrate our bodies as we eat them. Florida season for watermelons come from Myakka, and LaBelle usually in the beginning of April through August. The Yellow Watermelons have a short season but they are so delicious when eaten cold on a hot day. So if you have never tried a Yellow Watermelon it is a must and then you will be hooked while they are in season.
In the month of June starts Peach season in Florida, then Georgia, and then South Carolina Free stone peaches are my favorite peaches when you eat them the juices from the peach runs down your arm. Just delicious South Carolina peaches, they are my favorite.
Packed with flavor and nutrients, these farm-fresh sweet potatoes are perfect for roasting, baking, or mashing.
There are jumbo sweet potatoes and regular size sweet potatoes as well as a Mursaki sweet potato which is white inside and purple on the outside with a hint of sweetness. We made mashed potatoes out of the Mursaki sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving and they were delicious. It’s a person’s alternative to mashed potatoes.
When I visit the market, I’m always on the lookout for the freshest seasonal fruits and produce to bring back for my customers. I take the time to walk through every section, checking what’s new, what’s ripe, and what might spark a fresh idea for a jam or jelly flavor.
When a customer requests something specific, I do everything I can to find it—whether it means visiting different markets, calling around to local farms, or keeping an eye out for it week after week. I enjoy the challenge and the joy it brings when I can deliver exactly what they’re looking for. The changing seasons mean my offerings are always evolving, and I love sharing that variety throughout the year. It keeps things fresh, creative, and deeply connected to the rhythm of nature. There’s something so satisfying about honoring the seasons while giving people something homemade, flavorful, and full of care.